Chapter Twenty Two: Therapy Begins

It had taken Kurt a little while to get settled in with Abbey once Logan and K had left for the evening, but it was no time at all before he was on the floor with her, laughing hard enough that he couldn't breathe. And Abbey was loving every second of it.

They'd been playing their usual game - where he'd let Abbey get a hold of his tail, then give her a stern look when she pulled on it. She thought it was hilarious, and he did a fine job of looking irritated with her in spite of the belly laughs. That was, until he escalated the game and had her in his arms tickling her and sounding as angry as he was able … and she growled at him.

For a split second, Kurt froze, which had the little girl lifting one eyebrow his way before she did it again - a bit more menacingly. Or as menacingly as a not-even-one-year old could manage. But it was more than Kurt could handle and he was positively beside himself laughing. Which Abbey thought was the very best thing that had happened all week. So she kept belly laughing and growling at him whenever he'd catch his breath halfway.

Before it was over, he was flat on the floor, and she crawled onto his chest so she could get even closer with her little high-pitched growls, and the amazing Nightcrawler was positively incapacitated just that simply.

Finally, Kurt scooped her up and kissed her cheek. "You've given me a belly ache, schatzi," he said with tears running down his face. Abbey's answer was a tiny, giggling growl before she leaned forward and melted into his shoulder, patting him as she snuggled in. It was clear that she was worn out from their little playing session.

"We should show someone your trick," Kurt told her quietly, getting another giggling growl out of the tiny girl. Kurt was smiling as he considered who would appreciate it most. He started to head toward the Summers' room but stopped and looked at the little girl with one eyebrow arched. "Not them. Not now. I'm sure Ororo would be thrilled though."

"'Wo," Abbey said before she growled again and Kurt pulled her closer to kiss her head.

"Yes, schatzi, 'Ro would love to hear your fearsome growl." He only took a few steps before he teleported up to the top of the stairs, which only had Abbey giggling all over again.

After the incident at the rave, Jubilee started to spend more and more time following K around. Jean was acting as her therapist and had talked to K about sitting in on one of Jubilee's sessions. It was obvious that the young woman was having a hard time coming to terms with what had happened, and was freaking out about the what could have beens. But considering the fact that a lot of horrible things hadn't happened, K refused to go to her sessions.i

"K, she's watching you - you've got her attention. She's impressed," Jean told her. "And Jubilee isn't impressed by much! You're married to her father figure -"

"She really considers him more of a big brother," K corrected, but Jean just rolled her eyes at that.

"She looks up to him more than anyone else here - and now she's looking up to you too. You need to be available for her. You need to help her."

"Jean," K said as she set Abbey down to play on the floor in favor of taking Jean's hand. "If Jubilee asks me to sit in with her, then I will. But only if she does it herself. Not you encouraging her - not Charles strongly suggesting it … but if Jubilee wants me there."

K was working on fixing some fence line and the hot summer sun was beating down on her when Jubilee showed up, asking her why she was wearing a long sleeved shirt on such a hot day. The question was particularly intriguing to K seeing as Jubilee herself was rarely seen in anything less than a turtle neck and long pants lately. Regardless of the weather.

"I wear it to keep the bugs off. Flies are biting like crazy," K told her, then stopped her work to lean on the fencepost and tip her hat back. "But that's not why you're here Jubes. What's on your mind?" K shifted how she was leaning, her arms crossed and one foot up on the bottom rail.

Jubilee looked almost sheepish as she picked apart a piece of grass rather than answer her. "Jean is trying to tell me … well. She's trying to tell me that I didn't screw up as badly as I thought. But she doesn't really know what she's talking about," Jubilee replied quietly. "I mean … Wolvie totally reamed me out for that one. And I mean … I'm so totally not going to say he was right? Because … dude. I can't do that. But I mean …it's not like he was … you know. Wrong? About what could have gone down. I mean … especially since … noone knows what happened to those jack-holes."

"And you're out here trying to chat with me because ..." K started, expecting her to spit it out.

"Because you're like ... the only person I know that's actually dealt with the horrible things that might have happened? And I don't … know how you're functioning when I like, totally lost it with the what ifs," Jubilee said quietly and K let out a breath.

There it was. Out in the open.

"You want me to go sit with you and Jean?" K asked, not really wanting to talk about anything even remotely like this with the redhead. Especially since Jean had been trying to get K to talk about what had happened in Montana practically since she'd gotten back. To her relief though, Jubilee shook her head no.

"Just … I guess I kinda wanna get to know you better? And like … if you want to tell me anything or like … if I get any questions, maybe you could … I dunno ..." she said quietly, not sure she should even be asking her.

For pretty much anyone else, K would not have cooperated. But, Jubilee was family, and she was hurting. "I guess I've got a little time now," K said, pulling her gloves off as Jubilee had started to walk away. Jubilee quickly turned around, looking nervous - her eyebrows high on her head. "What do you want to know, Jubes?" K asked, leaning against the fence. "May as well get started."

"It's just … I'm like totally freaked out when it comes to being anywhere near guys now?" she said in a rush. "And I don't … I mean …"

"Jubes, what happened to you in that rave and what happened to me are two entirely different animals. You made a bad call, and got out instead of something completely horrible happening. Count yourself lucky," K told her frankly. "Just don't let anyone get a chance to get the drop on you because you're being careless. There's enough horrible stuff that happens to girls from guys being completely … disgusting and overbearing. Don't make it easier for the creeps."

"But …."

"It could have been worse," K told her.

"Yeah, I just ... " Jubilee paused. "The stuff Wolvie's taught me ... "

"Is good, sound advice," K said, turning her way.

"Yeah, but it doesn't take into account how stupid I was." She sounded bitter and K could see the self loathing creeping in.

"That wasn't just your mistakes. You're young. That's how you learn is to make mistakes. The guys that were running that disaster were worse than animals, Jubes," K replied, her face was stony. "They got what they deserved. Leave it at that, learn from your mistake and move on."

Jubilee's eyes widened. "Are you ever going to tell me what you did?"

K shook her head lightly after a long silence. "You don't really want to know. And Logan would be furious if I did tell you. He didn't even see what happened."

She stood up, deciding this was as good a time as any to wrap it up. "Don't let yourself get too down. Everyone makes mistakes, but you can't blame yourself when someone takes advantage of you when you're down. Those people … they're not predators. They're scavengers. Opportunists," K told her as she pulled her gloves back on and turned back to her work. "That type has no place here, and you can bet your ass Charles wouldn't let someone like that stick around. You're safe here. And not one of the boys that is crushing on you would do a thing to hurt you."

Jubilee was quiet for a long while, watching K as she went back to mending the fence. "Wait. Woah. Hold up," Jubilee said as she got to her feet. "Who's crushing?"

K smirked at her and simply kept working as Jubilee pushed her sleeves up and decided to help her on the fence. They worked in relative silence, checking boards, making repairs as needed with some of the horses coming up to them as they worked, looking for treats. It was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon and it came to an end when Logan and Abby came looking for them in his truck.

"You girls ready for a break?" he asked with an easy smile on his face. Jubilee smiled back when she noticed how handsome he was simply when he'd smile.

K put her arm around Jubilee's shoulders and directed her back toward the truck. "Oh yeah. Plenty for today," K told him when they were halfway close. Jubilee jumped in the back of the truck and K went to the window and leaned up to him simply for a long kiss before she grinned Logan's way and joined Jubilee on the tailgate. She hopped up next to her and tapped the side of the truck for Logan to move forward. The two of them had their feet dangling and K leaned back, with her hands propping her up. They weren't moving fast, but it was enough to make a breeze that cooled them both off.

K removed her long sleeved shirt, revealing her lean arms coated in sweat and her tank top soaked to her skin. She couldn't help but smile to herself, her face turned toward the sun as she enjoyed the breeze, but Jubilee didn't miss the chance to ask.

"You don't feel weird about you know … wearing stuff that … shows your figure?" Jubilee asked suddenly. "I mean. I"m bugged. Not gonna sugar coat it."

K turning to her with a little smirk. "Sweetheart, it doesn't matter what we wear. Every woman on the planet could cover up and hide away but there will always be some jerkoff that will hurt a girl then blame it on her. Anyone that says what could have happened was your fault? Or that any of those girls that got pulled out of there had it coming to them? Those guys are straight up assholes. Men can control themselves. They choose not to."

K let out a little huff and picked her ponytail up off her neck.

"Has Logan ever...do you ever worry that he might push too much..."

"No. I trust him completely. He may have thought about it, I really don't know, you'd have to ask him – but you can bet your ass if he can keep a handle on it while everyone calls him nothing more than an animal, everyone else sure as hell can," K replied just before the truck came to a stop.

K let her hair fall as Logan walked with Abbey to the bed of the truck. He raised an eyebrow when he saw K's tank top, his gaze remaining right around chest level, though when K saw it, she just rolled one shoulder toward him and raised an eyebrow in challenge.

But Jubilee noticed his focus and punched him in the arm hard.

"Damnit Jubes -" Logan growled out as he took a step back to tip Abbey away from her - though Abbey was giggling hard.

"You don't need to stare! Jeez! There are kids around!" Jubilee barked at him with K smiling at her.

"It's fine, Jubes. I don't mind," K defended. "Lord knows I stare at him when he's been workin'."

Logan smirked as he pressed into K for a kiss, and Jubilee made a gagging noise. "Well, yeah, everyone does," Jubilee said with a roll of her eyes.

But that only got Logan shooting a glare at her. "What do you mean, 'everyone does'?" Logan asked, frowning at her suspiciously.

She turned beet red and tried to go for lofty - falling woefully short. "Um, nothing. Just … oh shoot," Jubilee stuttered.

"All the girls do, Logan. Common knowledge," K supplied for her. "They wait for you to come out of the danger room, the gym, or best of all – the hangar. All in hopes of getting a glimpse of you half naked or more, sweaty. Growly. It's the chest," she said, then slid her hand up his shirt as he watched her hand on him. "Or maybe your abs. Arms ..." She was grinning at him as he met her gaze.

He grabbed her wrist with his free hand with Abbey still on his hip. "Stop," he told her seriously.

But K simply grinned brightly. "Fine. Play hard to get."

He shook his head with a laugh as he let her hand go. "Last thing I am is hard to get, woman," he replied as they walked up to the boat house with Jubilee smiling behind them the whole way.

The manner that they picked back and forth was purely entertaining to her. Likely because she knew him well, and she could see that he loved every second of it. By comparison - and Jubilee did compare - Jean and Scott were fun to be around sometimes, but their romance seemed almost – scheduled. Polite. They had no trouble showing affection in front of others, but Logan and K had a more relaxed aura around them when they were being affectionate. It seemed easy for them. Almost as effortless as breathing. Half way to the boathouse, Jubilee turned toward the mansion and K spun mid step.

"Aren't you coming with us for dinner?" she asked, truly hoping Jubilee would come along. Logan was smiling at her next to K and Abbey leaned on her father's chest babbling to herself.

"Um, sure. I need a shower first though," Jubilee replied, not expecting to be spending time with them, but more than happy to get the chance to.

"Be there in an hour, Jubes," Logan told her "K needs to hose off too."

K jabbed him in the ribs with a falsely shocked expression on her face. "Pot – kettle, love. Pot – kettle."

With a laugh, Logan grabbed her arm and pulled her in, kissing her head as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and the little family continued the rest of the short distance to their bungalow.

It wasn't traditional therapy, but it was the beginning of a long string of 'family' dinners for them. Logan and K made it very easy for Jubilee as she slowly regained her confidence in herself, and the night she fell asleep on the couch watching movies, Logan simply covered her with a blanket and let her stay. The next morning Jubilee panicked a little when she woke up, shocked that she'd crashed there, until of course, Logan offered her breakfast.

"C'mon. Pull up a chair, almost done," Logan told her, turning to pick up his coffee. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat near Abbey who was already working on her sippy cup and happily stopped her attempts to down it in one go so she could smile at Jubilee and wave at her one handed again muttering 'bubububub'.

K was out only a few minutes before Logan was finished cooking, and she was sure to steal a good morning kiss from him as she passed him by, only to sit across from Jubilee with her coffee in hand. Jubes was stunned when halfway through breakfast Logan offered to set up a room for her with them for her to stay with them as she pleased.

"No, I can't do that," she said quietly.

"Why not? You're family. You should have your own space here," K said, honestly shocked Jubilee hadn't taken him up on it.

"I know, it's just … well, I'm nearly done with school, and I'm probably going to college too," Jubilee replied as both Logan and K just stared back at her. "Look, the couch is fine when I want to be close to you guys, but I'm nearly a grown up. I don't really need a room with you. I have a room at the mansion."

There was a short silence before K stared into her coffee and Logan got up to give Jubilee a little hug. "The offer stands. You ever change your mind, say the word," he told her as Jubilee returning the hug ten fold then stood up and did the same to K.

The group was quiet as they finished breakfast. K really had hoped for Jubilee to stay, and when she went up to the mansion, Logan put Abbey in her crib to play while K cleaned up. He stepped up behind her and slid his arms around her waist while she washed the last of the dishes, kissing her neck.

"You need a distraction?" Logan asked in a quiet rumble.

"Clearly," K agreed, smirking to herself when he took the initiative to get her properly distracted.

When Jubilee walked into the mansion, she knew Logan had been waiting for her to leave so he could jump K. It's not like he was subtle. Ever. At all. She startled as Kitty fell to the floor with a thump off the couch and then stared at her wide eyed. Kitty looked incredibly embarrassed and Piotr was smirking at her, still mostly seated on the couch.

"I can't wait to move out of here," Jubilee said under her breath as she started stalking away from them. "People makin' out and having sex all over the place. Jeez." She rushed up to her room only to skitter right back out again after walking in on her roommate, Paige, who was in the throes with her current beau, Jono.

Jubilee leaned against the outside of the door with her hand over her mouth as Paige shouted out her apologies. "Kee-rist. A girl can't even hide in her own room! How the hell does that even work for them anyhow?"

She burst into a run -she didn't know where else to go, so with no solid hiding spots, she let herself into Logan's old room. His things were all gone, but the loveseat remained and she always had felt better in there. She ended up falling asleep on it as she'd done hundreds of times in the past, only waking up hours later with Ororo stroking her hair and gently calling her name.

"Are you unwell, Jubilation?" she asked her with a motherly tone. Jubilee nodded in response as she started stretching.

"Hey, 'Ro. Just couldn't use my room – it was um, occupado. I needed to get away from the couples." She sat up and stretched out her neck as Ororo watched her.

"And you thought of Logan's old room as the best place to hide from couples?" Ororo asked, with a touch of amusement dancing in her gaze. Though when Ororo really considered it, it really was a good plan. No one ever went in there.

Jubilee shrugged, then stood up and headed out the door with Ororo. "I guess it's probably safe to go back to my room now. I need a shower. I slept in these clothes last night at Logan's," she explained as Ororo smiled at her kindly just before she waved goodbye.

"Is it too early for you to consider dating or at least going out with some friends, Jubilation? You deserve some fun this summer too," Ororo suggested as they reached Jubilee's room.

"No, that didn't turn out too well for me. I don't think I should be going out at all," she replied, waving to Ororo and slipping in to get ready for the rest of the day. Ororo thought over Jubilee's situation, and decided to talk to Jean about Jubilee's self imposed punishment.

"'Ro, really, she hasn't talked to me about it. She said she was going to try to talk to K instead. She hasn't come in for a session since then," Jean told Ororo through the crack in her door and wearing a terribly obvious grin. Even if she thought she was being sly. "I'd .." She bit her lip to stop the giggle. "I'd advise seeking out K to find out what she told her … and then maybe tell me later if it was something that might require shopping." Jean beamed at her, then let out a surprised yet delighted sort of sound as she was yanked backward. The door nearly slammed shut a moment later and Ororo was left trying to keep from laughing.

"Yes," Ororo said to herself as she turned to leave. "I'm sure her advice is terribly unsound." Ororo was grinning broadly as she hit the stairs. It was the first time since Jean and Scott had returned from their honeymoon that they seemed relaxed at all. And it was obviously good for both of them.

She made her way down to the boathouse, her hands in her pockets until she stepped out of the mansion - and then she took a moment to turn her face skyward and enjoy the day. She was in no real rush, and she was reasonably sure that for once, Logan and K's agenda was likely the same as Scott and Jeans. "Small miracles," she laughed to herself as she covered the last stretch of grass before the little porch.

When she knocked on the door to the boat house, it took a few minutes for Logan to answer the door in an obvious state of undress and looking disheveled. "Somethin' wrong, 'Ro?" he asked, anxious to get back his version of torturing his wife.

Ororo met his gaze with an amused grin as she responded. "I need to speak with your wife," Ororo told him, pleased with how the two of them seemed to have no end in sight to their honeymoon phase, even after welcoming their little girl.

"Can it wait?" he asked gruffly, looking over his shoulder for just a moment, and obviously glaring at K to stay where she was.

"I'm afraid not. It's about Jubilee."

Logan tensed up then looked long and hard at K before sighing. "Gimme a sec. She'll be out before you know it," he growled then gently closed the door.

Ororo stepped back and turned the opposite way, watching the lake as she heard K on the other side of the door shout his name chastisingly, followed closely by Logan's laughter. A couple minutes later, K emerged in a rush, looking entirely more ruffled than Ororo had ever seen her. It was painfully obvious that K had simply slapped on the nearest clothes she could find. The buttons on Logan's flannel shirt were off track as it hung from her shoulders, and her hair looked like she's been thoroughly subjected to going through the wringer. K took a hold of Storm's arm as she quickly closed the door behind her.

"Let's go – he thinks he's going to put a timer on this and I need a break," K admitted with a grimace that quickly turned into a grin, and Ororo had to admit, the little feral did look tired. "I think he's trying to kill me," K said almost delightedly as the two women quickly made their way from the boat house to Ororo's greenhouse.

The Goddess was laughing at her the entire way. She loved that K was good for unexpected comic relief, particularly when it seemed to come so hard to those that lived there. Once the two women were safely in the greenhouse, K took a seat on an empty planter as Ororo began to question her on Jubilee, relaying to her the concerns she had with Jubilee's reluctance to enjoy herself.

K listened to all of it, and then got very quiet, thinking it over well before making any suggestions. "Do you know which boys are interested?" K asked slowly, still thinking over the possibilities.

"Yes, several are," Ororo replied. "Two are residents. Angelo and Everett, though Everett usually has Monet following him closely. Monet has a crush, and she's rather pushy about trying to make Everett do as she wishes," Storm answered.

It was a tough call since those that knew the boys knew that not only did Jubilee have a crush on Everett, but the feeling was entirely mutual, and entirely overshadowed by Monet's pushiness. "Can you separate Monet from Everett?" K asked. Ororo nodded, a little smile playing at the corner of her mouth. It was clear that she already had several ways to arrange for a separation of the two. "Good. Um – let me fix my ... Good God, what the hell am I even wearing?" K said slowly, really looking at her clothes. "That man." She sighed heavily, though she couldn't help the smile. "OK. Let me get changed and cleaned up enough that I don't look like … this. You get Monet and Jubilee out of the house for a while. I'm going to have words with Everett. Nothing intrusive, just feeling things out, OK?"

Ororo smiled at her and nodded her agreement. "There are worse things, my friend than knowing that your husband is passionate about you," Ororo told her, not that K needed much telling.

"Yes, and I love it, I do. But, considering that I'm not entirely sure how I got up here, he may just be overdoing things a bit," she replied with a smirk on her face that got Ororo to break out a full on smile, nodding her head in agreement.

But on K's arrival back to the boat house, it was eerily quiet. She peeked into Abbey's new room and found her still sleeping, so she padded silently back to their bedroom, knowing Logan had to be there waiting for her somewhere. She didn't get his shirt off before he grabbed her and tossed her on the bed, which really only had K grinning wider at him.

"Logan please," she laughed while he resumed where he'd left off. "Hey. I have to go do something for Jubes."

"You said you'd be ten minutes," he growled, intent on finishing what he'd started, which only had her snickering as he got back to business.

When K finally emerged from the boathouse, Ororo raised an eyebrow as she watched the little feral move though the window. K looked unnaturally stiff as she made her way up to the mansion, and by the time she got to the kitchen, Ororo had a cup of tea waiting for her without asking if she wanted to partake. K however was clearly starting to relax a bit.

"You don't look entirely yourself," Ororo said as she lifted her teacup to her lips. "I take it the two of you reached a breaking point? Or should I ask if you require help?"

"Oh. I'm fine. Logan got a little carried away, that's all," K replied, taking her first sip of tea.

Ororo looked somewhat entertained. "Are you sure you're alright? You shouldn't be looking so … off. Or am I misreading you?" she asked, slightly concerned.

"I'm fine, really – you should see the other guy. I'm perfectly lovely now. I wasn't hurting, I was just a little too sensitive. But definitely not in pain. It would have been unnoticeable had I waited a little while..." K drifted off.

Ororo finally laughed at that. "And how does the other guy look?" she asked,

K paused as she chose the right words, seemingly looking to the heavens for inspiration. "Very happy," K replied with a growing grin. "Very happy, and very tired."

Ororo laughed a bit more as Jubilee came into the kitchen. She was decked out head to toe in baggy black and not looking like she was in the best disposition.

"Oh, Jubilee … the broody goth look really doesn't suit you," K said when Jubes stopped and pulled up a chair with the two women. But she was met with a dry roll of the eyes and a sarcastic crack of Jubilee's bubblegum.

"Whatever," she mumbled before she rested her chin in the palm of her hand.

A little chit chat later, it was decided that Jubilee would accompany Storm to get some new clothes, after having admitted to burning all of her neon wardrobe after the club incident.

It was a mark of how worried they actually were when Remy pulled out his wallet and handed her two different cards. "Take yo pick, petit. You need sometin' to make you smile, an dat deep sapphire blue look real purdy on ya, if you want a lil' advice from dis ol' ca-john," he said sweetly.

Jubilee looked shocked - as if she was expecting this to be some kind of a trick before she went ahead and picked one of his cards. The temptation was just too much to resist. Particularly with him offering. With a tentative smile, Jubilee leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek, that Remy switched to a warm hug that had Jubilee smiling in spite of herself before she and Storm left.

K turned to Remy and kissed his cheek when she got up for more tea. "That was sweet," she sang before putting on a thick accent. "You t'ink dat ol ca-john can do lil' ol' me a favor?"

He smiled broadly in return, tutting as soon as he heard the echo of his own dialect. "Consider it done, Mon cher canaile . Stormy already asked to get M on out of de way for a bit. We gon' do a lil' recon work on a no longer used Hellfire Club locale. Dey ain't seen it in years, so ain't nothin' gon' happen," he replied as K smiled back at him. "An' when dis all said an' done, we gon' have to do a fais do do, if you gon' talk like dat."

"C'est magnifique. I am in favor, and you are a wonder, Mr. Le Beau." she replied, kissing his other cheek just before he pulled her into a quick twirl and then headed off to find Monet for their infiltration test.